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3 Sheets-Shee t 1'.

S K 0 O R B L T CONVERTIBLE SEEDING MACHINE.

No. 299,905. Patented June 3, 1884.

WITNESSES INVENTOR TTORNEYS.

s Pholniilhographer. Wa'nhingmn, u a

(No Model.) '3 Sheets.-Sheet 2.

T. L. BROOKS.

CONVERTIBLE SE'EDING MACHINE.

No. 299,905. 'Patented June 3, 1884. S

WITNESSES u, PEI'ERS. Pboto-Lilhognpbur Wa hmglon. o c

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. L. BROOKS.

CONVERTIBLE SEEDING MACHINE.

No. 299.905. Patented June 3, 1884.

iIIESSES=I I I 1 [:3 W

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE L. BROOKS, OF PORT BYRON, NEW YORK.

CONVERTIBLE SEEDlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,905, dated June 3, 1884.

Application filed February 27, 1884. (No model.)

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, THEODORE L. BRooKs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Port Byron, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Seeding-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved convertible seeding-machine. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear view, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line a: m, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in all the figures.

My invention consists in the improved con-.

struction and combinationof parts of a conmade of the shape shown in the drawings, the

forward side piece of the said box being ex: tended backward, so as to form a shelf, D, while the rear side piece of thebox is cut across at its lower part and provided with a slide, D, by means of which the size of the said opening may be regulated, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

E indicates the seat-support, which is cast in one piece, and upon the rear end of which the seat E is secured, while the forward ends of the said support are connected by a bolt, E,which extends beneath thetongue F, near its rear end, and there engages with the teeth of a rack, F, secured upon the lower side of the tongue F, near its rear end.

Gr represents the dropping device, which is open at either end, and is connected at its upper end to the shelf D by means of a flexible tubing, H, the shelf D being notched or cut away at the point where the upper end of the tubing H meets it,,and provided with springarms H, curving upward at their upper ends, and which serve to. support the upper end of the flexible tubing. Through the center of this dropping device passes a transverse shaft, I, having its projecting ends bent to form cranks or handles I, while upon the central portion of Y the said shaft is centrally pivoted the valve J. To each end of the shaft I is seed-box. It will be seenthat by means of these operating-cords the valve can be swung 7o readily to either side, as desired, a spiral spring, L, secured to one end of one of the handles I and to a lug on the shell of the dropper, serving to bring the valve rapidly into its closed position after it has passed a verti- 7 5 cal line, and holding it firmly in its closed position. 7 Near the lower end of the shell of the dropper are two projections, Lone'on either sidewhich serve as rests for the feet of the operator. To the lower rear end of the dropper is pivotally secured by means of a bolt, M, the coverer M, which is cast in one piece, and has pivotally secured between its rear ends the roller M, the periphery or operatingface of which is made concave. The coverer is provided with an adjusting'hook, N, by which the coverer may be raised or lowered, as desired. The dropper is provided with an upwardly-extending handle, N, having lugs N, adapted to fit between the teeth of racks O O on each side of the seat-support, andhas also a hook, P, on its rear side, by means of which the dropper may be secured in a raised or elevatedposition when driving to and from the field. 5

Q indicates the shovel-beam, the forward end of which is provided with a suitable aperture to adapt it to fit upon the downwardlyprojecting bolt Q, where it is held in place by means of a spring catch, Q, the rear with the left hand.

end of the beam being hinged between or in a bearing on the lower end of the dropper. Upon the lower extremity of the plow-beam is secured the double-pointed shovel-blade B, one end of which may be longer than the other, to adapt it to cut a deeper furrow for potatoes, 800., while the shorter end of the shovel is advantageously employed when planting corn, beans, 850. The shovel has a safety break-pin, R, of wood, which prevents the shovel from becoming broken when it comes in contact with large stones, immovable roots, (to;

The manner in which my improved convertible'seeding-machine is operated is as follows: When the machine is in its operative position, the operator places his hands upon the shelf D, on each side of the central opening of the same, with which the upper end of the flexible tubing H communicates, so that in sliding the seed into the mouth of the fieXible tubing H the wrists will come in contact with the operating-cords, the slide D having been previously raised, so as to allow the potatoes or seed to rattle out loosely upon the shelf D. Now pull right-hand cord, which will set the valve J for dropping the seed into first hill Slide what potatoes or seed are required from the shelf into the mouth of the flexible tubing H, from whence it will pass down into the dropper, ready to be dropped by the left hand when the first hill is reached. \Vhen on or over the first hill, slide what seed is required for the second hill into the dropper with the left hand, which motion of the hand will first, through the-left-hand vertical cord, turn the centrally-pivoted valve of the dropper, so as to allow the seed already in the dropper to drop down into the first hill. lVhe'n the second hill is reached, by making a corresponding motion with the right hand, the seed swept into the dropper by the previous motion of the left hand will be discharged into the second hill. It will be seen from the foregoing that the right hand dropped second and fourth hills, while the left hand dropped first and third hills. The lower end of the valve on each side and the lower inner walls of the dropper are corrugated or roughened, so as to prevent the moistpotatoes from sticking thereto, and thus clogging the dropper.

For drilling, unfasten the upper extremities of the operating-cords from the lugs on the top of the seed-box, and secure them so as hold the valve in a vertical position, and drop seed as desired.

To change the machine to a potato-digger, slip off the upper end of the flexible tubing from the spring-arms H, remove the springcatch Q from the downwardly-projecting bolt Q, slip'off the forward end of the plow-beam from the said bolt, when, by raising the handle of the dropping device and turning the same, after having undone or unfastened the from the frame proper. The seat and its support are then pulled back until its forward cross-bolt, E, catches in the curved teeth T on the racks on the lower side of the rear end of the tongue, thus holding the seat-support in an inclined position up out of the way of the jaws, between which the upper end of the shovel-beam or potato-digging attachment is secured. These jaws T are secured in a vertical position upon the frame A, just back of the tongue F, and are provided with a series of apertures, T, which admits of the digging attachment being moved up or down, to regulate the depth at which the same shall enter the ground.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of operating my improved convertible seeding-machine will readily be'understood without requiring further explanation.

It will be seen that my improved machine is exceedingly simple in construction, and,being devoid of all complicated mechanism, is not liable to break or get out of order. It will also be seen that it can be used either for drilling, check-drillin g, or check-rowing without any change of machinery, while the machine will also serve as an excellent potatodigger by making the few changes previously pointed out.

The beam of the digging attachment is provided with a suitable hook, by means of which it may be fastened up out of the way while driving to the field. The seat-support can be moved back orforward, according to the size of the operator, in order to enable his feet to readily reach the supports L, the cross-bolt E fitting between any two of the teeth on the lower side of the tongue.

It will be seen that the operator has only to feed the seed into the flexible tubing without paying the least attention to the dropper, as the motions of his hands in feeding the grain serve to readily and easily operate the valve of the dropper. By allowing the seed or pot'atoes to roll out freely upon the seed-box shelf, the said potatoes will be separated and loosen from one another without any extra work on the part of the operator.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by. Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination, with the main frame, of the seed-box, having one of its sides extended rearwardly to form a shelf, provided with a suitable opening through which the seed may pass, and provided with a suitable rear opening and a sliding cover for the same, to admit the seed to roll out freely upon the said shelf, a dropping device open at each end and provided with a central shaft having its ends bent at right angles, and having its inner surface corrugated at its lower end, a valve centrally secured upon thesaid shaft, and having its lower end corrugated on either side, a flexible tubing connecting the upper end of the dropping device to the shelf of the seed-box, a spiral spring for holding the valve in its closed position, and operating-cords extending up through suitable apertures in the seed-box shelf, and by means of which the valve of the dropping device is operated, as and for the purpose shown and set forth. r

2. The combination, with the main frame,

of the seed-box, having one of its sides extended rearwardly to form a shelf, provided with a suitable opening through which the seed may pass, and provided with a suitable rear opening and a sliding cover for the same, to admit the seed to roll out freely upon the said shelf,

a dropping device open at each end, and provided with a central shaft having its ends bent at right angles, and having its inner surface corrugated at its lower end, a valve centrally secured upon the said shaft, and having its lower end corrugated on either side, a flexible tubing connecting the upper end of the dropping device to the shelf of the seed-box,

a spiral spring for holding the valve in its ing up through suitable apertures in the seedboX shelf, and by means of which the valve of the dropping device is operated, an adjustable seat-support having upwardly-projecting teeth or racks on each of its side pieces, a double handle secured to the seed-dropping device, and provided with lugs adapted to fit between the teeth of the said racks, and a plowbeam secured removably beneath the tongue of the machine, and having secured upon its lower end a reversible shovel-blade, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoingas my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' THEODORE L. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD B. ERITZ, MADrsoN VoRoE. 

